If the WI legislature fails to approve a plan for a new
stadium for the Brewers, the team will leave town, possibly to DC
or Charlotte, according to the the AP's Dan Hanley. Without
approval of the stadium, the Brewers could be playing next season
at RFK Stadium or Charlotte's Knight's Castle (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL
SENTINEL, 9/26). Mike Scanlon, Exec VP of Virginia Baseball,
said the group led by William Collins has had talks with the
Brewers ownership (WASHINGTON TIMES, 9/26). Meanwhile, WI State
Assembly Speaker David Prosser has yet to line up the 50 votes
necessary for a financing plan to build a new $250M ballpark for
the team. Prosser said he would not bring the issue to the floor
until he had support, but he insisted the vote will take place
tomorrow. Prosser said he gained support yesterday by expanding
the taxing districts responsible for funding the stadium to
include Racine County, just south of Milwaukee (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL
SENTINEL, 9/26).

The latest ballot count in Seattle, released yesterday,
dropped the total "Yes" votes in the King County Stadium Tax
measure behind "No" by a margin of 245,092 to 243,557. In this
morning's SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER, Rebecca Boren writes the
new margin, while "virtually sealing the failure" of last
Tuesday's vote, places the heat on state politicians "to come up
with a way to build a new home for Seattle's suddenly wildly
popular baseball team." While it is still mathematically
possible for the margin of 1,535 votes to be overcome by about
3,000 special ballots that have yet to be counted, "it's highly
unlikely." However, Boren notes, although the vote will likely
fail, even its opponents "said the campaign won the larger point
of convincing the state's political leadership that voters care
about keeping the Mariners here." WA Gov. Mike Lowry said
yesterday he supports using state money to help keep the
Mariners. U.S. Sen. Slade Gorton said the state could cut costs
by eliminating the $170M that was on the ballot measure to pay
for Kingdome roof repairs and renovations. Boren notes the
Seahawks lobbied the King County Council to get the Kingdome
improvements added to the ballot, and then they "sat out the
election, which may have been enough to kill the proposal"
(SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER, 9/26).
OPINIONS, REAX: Columnist Art Thiel: "A new baseball
stadium will be built. Book it." Thiel writes that just as the
Seattle City Council helped Sonics Owner Barry Ackerley fund a
renovation of the Seattle Center Coliseum as the Sonics made a
playoff run in '93, fan support for the playoff contending
Mariners will push politicians to act. Thiel: "This emotional
momentum, which should be irrelevant to sober considerations of
taxation, construction and design, nevertheless will be the
crucial factor in buckling political resistance" (SEATTLE POST-
INTELLIGENCER, 9/26). Columnist Bart Wright, quoting a local
sports talk show host: "Name me another county anywhere in the
country where the baseball team invalidated the democratic
process of a ballot measure" (TACOMA NEWS TRIBUNE, 9/25). ESPN's
Peter Gammons on the Mariners franchise in light of the Seattle
stadium situation: "Two possibilities: Move it, or, maybe sell
it and have a regional franchise with Vancouver and Portland"
("Baseball Tonight," ESPN, 9/25).

Pirates bidder Kevin McClatchy spent most of yesterday in
discussion with team officials in an effort to complete the deal
to purchase the club. But sources told the WASHINGTON POST that
McClatchy has asked for an extension to "prove that he has the
cash" to buy the club. Mark Maske reports that McClatchy was
told that to get an extension of four weeks he would have to put
down a $3M nonrefundable deposit. McClathcy reportedly will
decide today whether to pay the deposit and proceed. Maske also
reports that the Pirates may consider a new offer today from DC
attorney Bart Fisher, who said he would keep the club in
Pittsburgh "at least temporarily." Fisher apparently sent a
letter to the Pirates' investment bankers yesterday and renewed
his offer to buy the team, with several new investors. Fisher
said his new offer expires at the end of business today. William
Collins, head of Virginia Baseball, who wants to move the club to
the DC-area, has said he will wait until the franchise makes it
known it is accepting offers from would-be relocators (WASHINGTON
POST, 9/26). Fisher's new group reportedly has $50M in equity
(WASHINGTON TIMES, 9/26).

Oilers Owner Bud Adams and his struggle with Houston
officials is profiled in the October 9 issue of FORBES. Adams,
on his lease: "They called the Astrodome the eighth wonder of the
world. Then my lease is the ninth wonder" (FORBES, 10/9
issue)....Meanwhile, the Astrodome's other tenants -- the Astros
-- drew only 11,142 to last night's game with the Pirates as they
remain only one game back in the wildcard hunt
(SportsTicker)....The Marlins had their smallest home crowd in
their history last night, drawing 16,230 in a loss to Montreal
(SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 9/26). ....More crowd apathy: In
Atlanta, the Falcons "are unloved, uninspiring and have plenty of
tickets unsold at the Georgia Dome," writes Len Pasquarelli in
the ATLANTA CONSTITUTION. The team has 20,000 tickets remaining
for this Sunday's game against the Patriots even though they have
a 3-1 record. Last week's game against the Jets drew the lowest
total to the Georgia Dome (40,778) since the facility opened in
'92 (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 9/26).

The L.A. Kings have sent a letter to suppliers informing
them that with the team's sale comes a "conconcurrent voluntary
filing of a Chapter 11 petition." The letter calls the filing
"strategic" and says it is in order to "protect the franchise and
its new owners from possible legal entanglements resulting from
Bruce McNall's ownership of the team." The letter, signed by CFO
Michael Handelman, says the team anticipates "no impact on the
team's day-to-day operations," but due to legal restrictions they
will be prohibited "from paying anyone, including suppliers, for
past due amounts" (THE DAILY).

NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue joined Vikings President
Roger Headrick in a meeting of the Advisory Task Force in the
Twin Cities to explain the team's requirements for financial
health at the Metrodome. Headrick told the panel he wants more
revenue from the facility, including ad income, concessions and
ticket sales. However, "some of that new cash can come only if
the Twins don't share the stadium with the football team," writes
Jay Weiner in the Minneapolis STAR-TRIBUNE. Tagliabue and
Headrick presented figures showing the Vikings ranking 21st out
of the NFL's 28 teams last season in net revenue. The Vikings
kept $58.2M compared to the league-leading Cowboys' $92.9M. Just
as the Twins did in a presentation to the Task Force last month,
the Vikings laid out a wish list. Wiener reports that while both
teams want control of the facility, both also seek the same new
revenue sources from the dome. They also differ on areas for new
seats (Minneapolis STAR-TRIBUNE, 9/26).